Matthew Naythons’ interest in photojournalism began in 1963 when, as a high school photographer, he documented President Kennedy’s funeral procession. Since 1972, he has pursued two distinct professions: medicine and photography. He developed his skills in both areas in such a way that he was able to combine the two pursuits. After obtaining his medical degree from Hahnemann University in 1972, he began working on a month-by-month basis in an emergency room, a schedule that allowed him to take on freelance photojournalism assignments. During those years, he documented many international events—including the fall of Saigon, the Yom Kippur War, the Sandinista revolution in Nicaragua, and the aftermath of the Jonestown mass suicide—for various publications such as Time, National Geographic, Newsweek, Life, the Sunday Times of London, and Stern.

His production work documents different medical cultures around the world and other cultural differences worldwide, medical dilemmas in times of war, educational techniques, and religious mission work. His book projects include The Power to Heal, The Face of Mercy, Sarajevo: A Portrait of Siege, A Day in the Life of the United States Armed Forces and A Day in the Life of the American Woman.